Jack Nicklaus slams Rory McIlroy as PGA Tour star gets earful from commentator

Daily Mirror

26-05-2025

Jack Nicklaus, widely regarded as one of finest golfers of all time with 18 major wins under his belt, has weighed in on the Scottie Scheffler vs Rory McIlroy debate
With just over a fortnight to go before the US Open tees off, golf 's biggest names are fine-tuning their form ahead of the third major of the 2025 season. Scottie Scheffler claimed victory at the PGA Championship earlier this month and followed it up with a share of fourth place at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday.
The American finished level with England's Tommy Fleetwood, with both players pocketing around £335,000 each. Although Rory McIlroy opted not to take part in the Texas-based event, he still found himself in the headlines - this time thanks to legendary figure Jack Nicklaus.
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Here, Mirror Sport has rounded up the main talking points from the golfing world, including Nicklaus' comments on McIlroy's game, Fleetwood's ongoing battle with an unwanted milestone, and Sky Sports commentator Wayne Riley's blunt criticism of Matthias Schmid's pace of play.
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Commentator loses patience
Sky Sports pundit Wayne Riley didn't hold back in expressing his irritation over Matthias Schmid's slow play during the Charles Schwab Challenge. Despite putting in an excellent performance to finish runner-up behind Benjamin Griffin and taking home over £800,000, the German's measured approach clearly grated on the Australian broadcaster.
Riley, who was following Schmid during the penultimate round, became visibly exasperated as the 27-year-old took what seemed like an age over a particular shot. At one point, Riley was left standing for more than two minutes, waiting for the player to commit.
"He likes a back off, this guy," Riley said in frustration. "He's done it a couple of times, I've noticed. Look, he's backing off again."
Schmid was seen in deep discussion with his caddie, apparently rethinking club selection due to shifting wind conditions. Riley, clearly fed up, added: "I feel like we've been standing over this shot for 20 minutes."
As Schmid continued to stall, Riley's irritation turned to outright criticism: "This guy has thrown the anchor out, he's a really slow player. I'm not sure if he's always like this but it's the first time I've been out with him."
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Fleetwood's unwanted record
It may have been another profitable weekend for Tommy Fleetwood, but the Englishman remains burdened by a statistic he'd likely prefer to avoid. Despite earning a staggering £22.8m in his PGA Tour career to date, Fleetwood still hasn't managed to win a single tournament on the circuit.
It means he had the unwanted record of being the golfer who's earned the most prize money without clinching a tour event. Since turning professional in 2010, Fleetwood has posted 27 top-five finishes in PGA Tour events, with five runner-up spots to his name.
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On the European-based DP World Tour, he's picked up seven titles, yet a breakthrough on American soil continues to elude him. With form on his side, however, he'll be hoping to end the drought before long.
McIlroy criticised by Nicklaus
Golfing icon Jack Nicklaus has weighed in on the growing rivalry between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy - revealing he sees more of himself in the American. While Nicklaus praised McIlroy for his achievements and congratulated him personally on his recent Masters win, he also highlighted a recurring flaw in the Northern Irishman's game.
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"[I see myself more in] Scotty," said the 85-year-old. "First of all, Rory, the ball gets away from Rory right to left. Always has his career. He hasn't corrected it, but he still has had a great career with it. But could he have had a better career if he'd gone a little bit the other way? I don't know.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. But Scottie has learned at a fairly young age that keeping the ball in play [is key]. He's long, he's certainly long enough, as long as the rest of the guys. But he doesn't try to be.
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"He makes sure that he puts it in play so that he's got a second shot to play. I think that wins golf tournaments more often than hitting it over the top of trees and so forth."
Cabrera comeback win
Angel Cabrera, a two-time major champion, has completed a remarkable return to competitive golf following a spell in prison. The Argentine's career came to a halt in 2021 when he faced multiple assault allegations, ultimately serving 30 months behind bars before his release in August 2023.
Four months after being cleared to compete again in PGA Tour-sanctioned events, Cabrera claimed his first title since 2009 by winning the Senior PGA Championship this past Sunday.
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Lifting the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy, the 55-year-old struggled to contain his emotions. "I feel very emotional," he said, with an interpreter later conveying his heartfelt message. "Maybe you can't see it inside but I'm emotional."
Former LIV star-turned-monk qualifies for The Open
Sadom Kaewkanjana has taken an unconventional route to this year's Open Championship. The 26-year-old Thai golfer secured his place at St Andrews by triumphing in the Kolon Korea Open - his first title on the Asian Tour since 2022.
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Kaewkanjana's career has seen dramatic highs and introspective pauses. He participated in the inaugural LIV Golf season in 2022, playing in all eight events. However, following a missed cut at the PGA Championship, he returned to Thailand and took an extended break from the sport - during which he entered a monastery and was ordained as a monk.
His time in the monastery was more than symbolic. For Thai men, temporary ordination is a respected rite of passage, and for Kaewkanjana, it offered a rare chance for reflection.
"I was ordained because I wanted to return the greatest merit and repay my parents," he explained. "During this time of ordination, it was of great value and experience, even though the ordination was a short period of time.
"I was cut off from the rest of the world when I was ordained, that made me feel more calm. I was able to concentrate more, which will help me improve my game of golf."
Now preparing for his Open debut, Kaewkanjana will be hoping that inner peace translates into performance on one of golf's most iconic stages.